Bazalgette to step down from Endemol

Peter Bazalgette is to quit his role as Endemol chief creative officer at the end of the year.

The man who brought Big Brother to the UK is reported to have told John de Mol - Endemol founder, and since May one of its main shareholders - that he wanted to leave over the summer.

His exit comes following the production giant's takeover by a consortium of Goldman Sachs, de Mol, and Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset. The sale gave Bazalgette a payout of around 75 million euros.

Bazalgette has indicated he is looking to invest in other media companies, and will remain as an adviser to Endemol through next year. He joined the company in 1998 when he sold his production company Bazal to Endemol.